Adeno-Associated Viral (AAV) Plasmids
Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors offer precise delivery of genetic material across a wide range of tissue types with minimal immune response in vivo. They have become an essential tool for studying gene function, modeling diseases, and advancing gene therapy development.
In order to produce recombinant AAV vectors, researchers need to use three plasmids:
- A transfer plasmid (or cis plasmid) containing the transgene or genetic elements of interest to introduce in cells.
- A packaging plasmid (or Rep/Cap plasmid) containing the AAV replication (Rep) and capsid (Cap) genes necessary for the production and assembly of viral capsids. The capsid protein encoded in the packaging plasmid will determine the AAV vector serotype.
- A helper plasmid containing adenoviral or herpesviral helper genes. These genes are not present in the AAV genome, but are required for AAV viral replication.
This collection provides a curated selection of transfer, packaging, and helper plasmids that can be used for AAV vector production suitable for a variety of serotypes and applications. Read our AAV vector guide for more information about AAV components, generations, viral production, and viral safety.
Want to save time? Our Viral Vector Packaging Service has hundreds of in-stock preps that are ready to ship right away, and our Packaged on Request service gives you even more options.
AAV Transfer Plasmids
Transfer plasmids encode the genetic information that will be contained in the viral particle (i.e., the AAV vector genome), flanked by two inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). This table contains a general list of all the transfer plasmids in Addgene's repository. You can search or sort this table based on plasmid name, gene name, in-stock viral prep availability, viral packaging eligibility, and more.
| ID | Plasmid | Description | PI |
|---|
AAV Packaging Plasmids
Packaging plasmids, or RepCap plasmids, encode the AAV replication and capsid proteins necessary for AAV vector production and assembly. The capsid protein encoded in the packaging plasmid will determine the AAV vector serotype. Some packaging plasmids also include adenoviral helper genes normally contained in the helper plasmid.
Packaging Plasmids Available with Addgene's Viral Vector Packaging Service
This table lists the packaging plasmids (Rep/Cap plasmids) used by Addgene's Viral Vector Packaging Service to produce AAV vectors for all available serotypes.
| ID | Plasmid | Capsid | Description | PI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112862 | pAAV2/1 | AAV1 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap1 | James M. Wilson |
| 232199 | pAAV2/2 | AAV2 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap2 | Melina Fan, Addgene Research Program |
| 232922 | pAAV2/5 | AAV5 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap5 | Melina Fan, Addgene Research Program |
| 240485 | pAAV2/6 v1 | AAV6 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap6 | Meghan Rego, Addgene Research Program |
| 112863 | pAAV2/7 | AAV7 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap7 | James M. Wilson |
| 112864 | pAAV2/8 | AAV8 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap8 | James M. Wilson |
| 112865 | pAAV2/9n | AAV9 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap9 | James M. Wilson |
| 240486 | pAAV2/11 v1 | AAV11 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and Cap11 | Meghan Rego, Addgene Research Program |
| 112866 | pAAV2/rh10 | AAVrh10 | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2, and rh10 capsid | James M. Wilson |
| 81070 | rAAV2-retro helper | AAV retrograde | AAV packaging plasmid, expressing Rep2 and retrograde capsid | Alla Karpova |
| 103005 | pUCmini-iCAP-PHP.eB | PHP.eB | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and PHP.eB Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 103006 | pUCmini-iCAP-PHP.S | PHP.S | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and PHP.S Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 127847 | pUCmini-iCAP-PHP.V1 | PHP.V1 | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and PHP.V1 Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 175004 | pUCmini-iCAP-AAV.CAP-B10 | B10 | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and B10 Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 175005 | pUCmini-iCAP-AAV.CAP-B22 | B22 | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and B22 Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 185136 | pUCmini-iCAP-AAV.MaCPNS1 | MaCPNS1 | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and MaCPNS1 Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
| 185137 | pUCmini-iCAP-AAV.MaCPNS2 | MaCPNS2 | AAV packaging plasmid (non-standard), expressing Rep2 and MaCPNS2 Cap controlled by tTA-TRE amplification system | Viviana Gradinaru |
All Available AAV Packaging Plasmids
This table lists all packaging plasmids (Rep/Cap plasmids) in Addgene’s repository that express AAV Rep and Cap genes for packaging in specific serotypes. Some also include adenoviral helper genes (E4, E2a, and VA), eliminating the need for a separate helper plasmid during AAV production. You can search or sort this table based on plasmid name, capsid, and more.
| ID | Plasmid | Gene/Insert | PI |
|---|
AAV Helper Plasmids
Wild-type AAV viruses require the presence of a "helper" virus, such as adenovirus or herpes simplex virus, to replicate in the host cell and complete the lytic cycle. To avoid the use of these viruses during recombinant AAV vector production, necessary helper virus genes are instead provided by helper plasmids and specific packaging cell lines. Helper plasmids generally encode the adenoviral E4, E2a, and VA genes.
This table contains helper plasmids in Addgene's repository for AAV vector production.
| ID | Plasmid | Description | PI |
|---|
Other Resources
Addgene's Viral Vector Packaging Services
Resources on addgene.org
Addgene Protocols
Content last reviewed: 10 September 2025